Like most people, I love having options. And after living with HIV for over 30 years, the idea of newer, potentially better pharmaceutical options to manage this disease is always an enticing one. When I learned about long-acting injectables to treat HIV that enable people to swap their pills for two shots every over month, I was eager to learn as much as I could about this novel therapy. 

During my search to absorb all the information I could, I read more clinical trial data than I have in my whole lifetime. I also met doctors and clinicians who all said something to the effect of: “Long-acting injectables are the future of HIV treatment and prevention.”


Those were powerful endorsements, and for me, those arguments were very compelling indeed. I also believe long-acting injectables are the future. 

But I’m also an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of guy, and so I’m not quite ready to make the switch. I’ll make the leap eventually. It’s a matter of when at this point, possibly after the shots last a bit longer than two months. That’s something that’s surely in the not-so-distant future. 

But I am ready to be an evangelist for long-acting injectables because of the tremendous potential to help vulnerable people. 

These drugs can be a godsend to someone with an unpredictable work schedule or an unstable living situation. Also, they can be a social justice imperative in places that still criminalize the transmission of HIV. Someone whose viral load is undetectable cannot transmit the virus through sex. For people who inject drugs or engage in survival sex, long-acting injectables can be an invaluab;e public health and harm reduction tool.

When I make the switch to long-acting injectables to manage my HIV, it’ll be the most well-researched transition of my life. Even my doctor was surprised how thoroughly briefed I was. It’s empowering to know the ins and outs of this novel treatment.